[ Ref. Alan Pratt in 130211 MMDigest

This sounds quite exciting to me.  If is not often that a collection
like this is uncovered.  I imagine you are right that these may have
been gifts to the emperor and date back quite a ways, and likely played
once or twice and put away.

China is looking for more and more ways to attract money and visits
in ways that match its values.  I think if more people ask about the
collection, through messages, letters, and travel agent inquiries,
somebody may catch on that restoring this collection could be a big
draw.  All we have to do is ask about it.

They have the manpower and space in the Forbidden City to set up a
workshop -- itself a draw, and  then a museum for the finished work,
all without selling off items.  I think this is the kind of thing the
tourist industry is looking for there.

Another thing that this could do is spawn a new industry there.
Small Chinese music boxes and automata are made now.  What if someone
got the idea that a reproduction of some of the larger instruments
would be a good idea?  There are already reproductions of the carillon
from the first emperor's buried army and city which are travelled and
concertised.

I think a little non-mechanical noise should be made about this and
then there really will be something to see.  Thanks for posting about
it.

Jim Katz